Improvement in wind-wheels



C. W. KL1NE.

Wind-Wheels.

N0. 145,214. Patented Dec.2,1873.v

, UNITED STATES PATE T" 'FFIEL' COLUMBUS KLINE, OF BELOIT, TISCONSI' i IMPROVEMENT IN wine-WHEELS,

Specification formlng'part of Letters Patent No. 145,2 I4, dated December 2,1873; application filed October 2, 1673.

' the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved wind-wheel or windmill, with the upper section of tower; and Fig. 2 is a detached view of the revolving air -chamber with vanes and governorgates, hereinafter particularly described.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre spondin g parts.

My invention consists in the adaptation and varraingement of a turbine wheel inclosed in a tower of suitable construction, the wheel being arranged and provided with a suit-able revolving automatic air-chamber or gates for delivering the wind to the wheel.

In the drawings, letter A represen ts the tower, which may be of any lavailable form; the one here represented is in square form, having four posts, F. Two girders, Ur, running from corner to corner transversely, cross at the center of the tower, and are there provided with a step, 19

for supporting the vertical spindle m, upon and with which the wheel B revolves. The tower has a roof, R, and is closely boxed 'from the line at Gupward to the line of l l l l. The upper part of the tower is inclosed with open-work, overlapping slats of suitable width, and open enough to allow free egress to the wind after passing out of the wheel, as hereinafter de-l scribed, and yet close enough to prevent ingress of rain, sleet, or snow. A part of the front slats l and box in the drawings is broken away, so as to show the interior and rear of the chamber of the tower in which the wheel is placed. The box around the sides of the wheel islarge enough to permit free egress of the wind from the wheel. The wheel is decked over the entire upper surface, and is provided with buckets discharging horizontally at the peripher f 5 the under side central part is left l open to receive the wind. U is a rotating aircha-niber or chute for receiving and conducting the wind to the lower side of the wheel and into the buckets. This air-chamberis loosely pivoted upon the spindle m, but rotates independently otl the wheel. This chamber is also to be of suitable size for admitting sufficient wind to drive a wheel of corresponding size at ordinary velocity of wind-current. The mouth of the chamber is always held to the eye of the wind by means of the vanes V, which are not so long as to prevent the chamber C, with vanes attached, from revolving freely within thev posts F of the tower. L L represent the vertical sides of the chamber C (which move closely under the lower side ofthe wheel-box) and automatic governorgates. These automatic governor-gates are hinged to the sides of the frame ofthe air-chamber C near the in` tersection ofthe vanes V with gates, and meet at the center, as shown in the dra-wing at Fig. 2. Chains or rods a2 are loosely hinged to each of these governor-gates at the upper' edges, and about midway of their length, as shown. rlhese are coupled in the center to the weight O, which, when the gates are closed, is depressed at least as low as the bottom or tloor of the air-chamber C. The weight must be sufficient to hold the gates closed until the wind shall blow with force greater than required for ordinary work of the wheel, when the gates will open as the gale increases, until they shall reach the iirst or second dotted lines a2 of the drawing, Fig. 2, or still wider, if required for the escape of surplus wind, so that the mill may, and it is believed will, work at almost uniformity of speed in any stress of weather, and will never be required to go out of the wind, so to speak, or stop work, even in a violent gale.

Only an upper section of the tower is shown, though it may be of any desired available height and size, and inclosed as any other building, and hence may be employed as a mill, machine-shop, or for storage in a small way, or, if erected adoining a mill or shop,

may be used as an auxiliary thereto 5 or it may' be erected upon the top of any large building, answering all the purposes of an independent tower, and have only the external appearance of a cupola. The air-chamber C is, of course, to have an suitable floor, and, in case of erecting the tower upon the top of a building, the roo may, perhaps, serve as e door for such en airchamber.

The buckets of the wheel may be placed at any angle, or ina-y be made so as to discharge the Wind vertically.

Having described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lett-ers Patent, is

The combination, with the turbine Wheel B and the shaft M, of the independently-rotatng chamber C, With venes V V and vhinged gates L L,'connected by rods a2 a2 to the Weight O, all constructed and arranged substfutially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of September, 1873.

COLUMBUS W. KLINE. Witnesses Y JOHN PERHAM, HENRY HAYFOBD. e 

